Committee backs amended bill to limit overcrowding releases and address repeat misdemeanor offenders

Representative Lisenbee presented House Bill 312, a measure the sponsor said aims to limit jail “overcrowding releases” for specified serious offenses and to create a framework for handling repeat misdemeanor offenders.

The bill, as described by Representative Lisenbee, excludes certain offenses from eligibility for overcrowding release (the list begins later in the bill text) and directs counties that release people because of overcrowding to prioritize county inmates over federal marshal holds when making release decisions. Lisenbee said the substitute and the committee amendment also address repeat misdemeanor offenders — a category she said lacks comprehensive data because many cases are heard in justice courts.

“There's 29 counties in the state of Utah, as you know, and 1 county is releasing a lot of individuals due to overcrowding,” Representative Lisenbee said. She said the bill seeks judicial review when a person has committed a specified…